UP IN THE ATMOSPHERE - Mariani Landscape · and chairs, and Crate & Barrel decor accents) complete...
Transcript of UP IN THE ATMOSPHERE - Mariani Landscape · and chairs, and Crate & Barrel decor accents) complete...
The Chicago skyline. It’s a point of pride for every card-carrying
Chicagoan. No matter how long you’ve lived here, every once
in awhile you’re bound to catch yourself pausing, head tilted
back in full marvel of its beauty. So when a family moved into a
Streeterville penthouse on North Water Street in 2012, inheriting
a 270-degree city view from their private terrace, they knew they’d
spend as much time out there as Mother Nature would permit.
“The homeowners wanted to transform the terrace into
a space that could be used for easy al fresco entertaining,” says
Colleen Barkley, design manager at Mariani Landscape, the Lake
Bluff-based landscape firm charged with its design. “And to
really make the space feel personalized and unique, we peppered
in pieces from the couple’s extensive travels to Asia.” Not
obstructing the sweeping sight lines of the city was a priority for
the homeowners, so Mariani Landscape (marianilandscape.com)
meticulously placed custom raised planters by SH Bertucci around
the perimeter of the open-air, 28th-floor space, providing privacy
and tranquility while still framing the stunning panorama. Flow—
from inside to outside, from end to end—was key.
At the southwest corner of the terrace sits an outdoor kitchen
boasting a Fisher & Paykel grill and Danver cabinetry with fridge
drawers, so the Mariani Landscape design team positioned a high-
top bar and an eight-seat, Brown Jordan table parallel to the lake
close by. And to maximize usage on cool nights and long into the
fall, a poshly appointed lounge area (think Barlow Tyrie couches
and chairs, and Crate & Barrel decor accents) complete with a
custom fire pit by Ore makes for a cozy corner for small groups.
As for the foliage throughout, Mariani went with a modern
aesthetic and kept the elements in mind, selecting autumn moor
grass and prairie dropseed for the sunken boarders, hydrangeas
for eye-level texture, and seasonal annuals for pops of color, while
peppering in birch trees to help muffle the sounds of the city.
“Many of the of the planters were built on-site because they were
too big to take up the elevator,” points out Barkley. “But it was
so worth it. They use the terrace well into the fall for everything
from morning coffee to evening dinner parties. It’s their private
garden oasis in the sky.” sl
UP IN THE ATMOSPHEREBy Taylor Morgan / Photography by Linda Oyama Bryan
Mariani Landscape designed planters around the perimeter of the space that provide privacy and
tranquility while still framing the stunning views.
96 slmag.net
Distinguished by foliage-filled planters, each space on the rooftop terrace is clearly defined for entertaining guests and hosting alfresco dinner parties.
slmag.net 97